Bad economy breathes new life into dial-up

The transition from dial-up to to broadband services like WiFi and DSL has hit a speed bump now that a recession has taken hold of the U.S., and in some cases, demand for dial-up is growing again.

EarthLink and NetZero have rekindled their marketing and promotional efforts around dial-up services to target consumers who are either trading down from broadband to save money or delaying their move to high-speed services.

Last month, EarthLink began pitching "Connect for Less," an offering that pushes dial-up service for $7.95 a month, or about 25 cents a day. In December, NetZero introduced a $9.95-a-month plan. Both providers are marketing the offerings as a way to save money.

However, the market for dial-up services is still declining. EarthLink's dial-up business lost 173,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter, while NetZero lost 86,000 subscribers.

For more:
- take a look at the WSJ (sub. req.) 

Related article:
Some Americans say they'll never leave dial-up